BSF's MoU with NSDC for retired troopers' welfare

New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Skill Development Corp (NSDC) to provide skill training to its retired and retiring personnel.

BSF Director General K.K. Sharma said the five-year agreement will enable the retiring personnel to live a more productive life and contribute to nation building.

“This collaboration aims to train and provide gainful employment to retired BSF personnel and their families, school students, youth and differently abled for five years starting from April 2017 to April 2022,” Sharma said.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of State for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.

Rudy said skill development remained an ignored aspect until Prime Minister Narendra Modi created the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry.

“Suffering from colonial legacy, skill development remained a neglected sector while the human resource development focus remained confined to imparting academic education,” Rudy said.

“Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) came to be regulated by the National Council for Vocational Training, an advisory body set up by the Centre in 1956, and today the ITIs cater to around 23 lakh students at any point of time.”